Androscoggin
With conditions changing over the last week I thought I would give an update to last weeks report. As of this writing the Androscoggin River is down to 63 degrees in Gorham NH and 65 degrees in Errol. Mountain streams in the southern stretches have the water a tad colder but the whole river will be dropping in temperature as cold nights and days are forecast for the next week.
With cooler water temps expect fish to move to slower water and shallower riffles. Last weeks rain bumped flows a little but they are back down to minimum flow of just over 800 cfs in Errol and around 1000 cfs in Gorham. Hopefully the rain we have had will allow dam operations to sustain this flow through the fall. Recent rains had the bite slowed down over the past few days with turbid water from the Diamond river above lake Umbagog clouding the trout’s vision from our offerings. Things are clearing as of this writing and we should have good to great conditions over the next week.
Wild Brook Trout waters
Wild brook trout should be spawning soon if not already in our mountain streams. In our more southern wild trout streams expect fish to be moving to spawning zones. Be careful of where you wade this time of the year on wild brook trout streams avoiding areas with redds. Fishing colorful streamers like a Mickey Finn or Woods Special will produce as will dries like October caddis and royal coachmen.
Saco
The Saco will fish best after any fall rains we get between now and closing on October 15th. Fishing streamers and covering water is the name of the game for finding the bigger wild browns in the river. It is also worth exploring tributaries as some resident browns will be migrating towards spawning sites in the next few weeks. Again, covering water is key. Larger pools are a good bet but don’t neglect mid-depth riffles. Again be aware of where you wade and leave any spawning fish alone to do their thing.
Land Locked Salmon
Recent rains should have Landlocked salmon beginning to stage at the mouth of area lake tributaries. We will give an updated report once we begin finding salmon, hopefully with the next good rain.
Fall guiding availability
We recently had October 1st open up for a full day with Nate, give us a shout asap if you want to grab this prime date. We have a few dates open through the regular trout season as well as Salmon trips through October and pike, and trout trips available through November. Please give us a shout if you would like to get out.
In Summary
Prime fall fishing is happening right now so get out before the water freezes! Want to see what we’ve been catching lately be sure to follow us on instagram @hillcountryguides
Tight Lines,
Nate